Mike Watson

As the Philadelphia Flyers close their 50th season in the NHL, it is obviously disappointing without a coveted playoff spot. However, we take a look back and celebrate the entire body of work over five decades and have a little fun with some of the faces and names who have made up 50 seasons of everything that is Flyers hockey.

In the Flyers 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh, history was made for one particular Philadelphia player. The Flyers fourth goal was the 50th on the season for the late Rick MacLeish, the first Flyer to ever score 50 goals in a season.

Flyers legend Bobby Clarke recorded his 1,000th NHL point, on a third-period goal as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Boston Bruins 5-3 at the Spectrum.

March 11, 1986 Over their 50-year history, it has been a rare occurrence to have the Philadelphia Flyers and the…

In this late winter matchup, just four words are needed to describe the powder keg that exploded late in the third period. Flyers. Senators. Fight Club.

In the inaugural season for the Philadelphia Flyers, the roster was full of NHL veterans selected from the 1967 NHL expansion draft. One of those would be the first Flyer to reach the 20-goal plateau wearing the Orange and Black, Leon Rochefort.

It’s a wonderful feat for an undrafted rookie to make it to the NHL. It would be icing on the cake if he were to record a point and get on the scoresheet in his first NHL game. Being called up from Springfield of the AHL, Al Hill was about to make is NHL debut and also Flyers history.

On Feb. 9, 1995, the Flyers traded winger Mark Recchi and a 1995 third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Eric Desjardins, along with forwards John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne.

The dominance that was the “Legion of Doom” in the late 1990’s for the Flyers was some of the most exciting Flyers hockey in recent memory. On this day, this fabled line was at it again in this tilt against the Montreal Canadiens. Together, they would set a team record with 16 points among them, in a 9-5 drubbing of the Habs.

As Wayne Simmonds represents the Flyers this weekend at the NHL All-Star Game, we reflect back to the last NHL All-Star Game to be held in Philadelphia, back on Jan. 18, 1992 at the Spectrum.

January 20, 1983 On this day, future Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler recorded his 1,000th career point in the NHL as member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

To have a little fun and quiz our loyal and knowledgeable fans of the Flyers and Flyerdelphia, these 10 Flyer greats who either played or were honored at the Alumni Game were traded by the Flyers at some point. Match the team they were traded away to. The answers will be posted here after the Flyers-Capitals game later today.

In one of the more intense 1-1 games in team history, the Philadelphia Flyers would come back to tie the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Spectrum. The Flyers would salvage the tie and extend their streak of 28 games without a loss. That would tie the existing record, held by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1977-78 season.

On this day, the Flyers first used Kate Smith’s “God Bless America” in place of the “Star-Spangled Banner” before games. The new-found tradition proved to be a staple of Flyers history over the years.

In a swap of tough rugged defenseman, the Philadelphia Flyers sent Dan McGillis to the San Jose Sharks for Marcus Ragnarsson.

In a dominate performance down in South Philadelphia, John LeClair and the Philadelphia Flyers dismantled the Vancouver Canucks, 6-2. It was quite a game for LeClair, who netted four goals including three in the final frame.

With a 5-4 overtime win against the New York Islanders at the Spectrum, The Philadelphia Flyers won their 13th consecutive game — with no ties — a team record.

On this night in 1986, the Flyers would defeat the Red Wings at the Spectrum in a barn burner, 7-5. Murray Craven would shine, recording his first career hat trick as a Flyer against his old club.

In the 1978-79 season, the Flyers were left scrambling after the tragic eye injury to Bernie Parent. Robbie Moore made his Flyers’ debut in a call-up from the Maine Mariners (AHL) on March 6, 1979, recording a shutout, stopping all 22 shots in a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.

This Flyers at 50 looks back at October 25, 1984, when Tim Kerr had his first four-goal game.

This edition of Flyers at 50 looks back to one of the memorable tilts of the late 70s between the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.

By Mike Watson, Sports Talk Philly staff writer  As the Flyers organization and the thousands of faithful fans celebrate the…

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